August 26, 2011

DIY: Spiked Shoes.

So my version of the Sam Edelman booties came out a little more... spikey... than I originally intended. But you can play around with the materials you want to use and make yours however you want - the basic steps are the same, and they are ridiculously simple.

The "spikes" that I used are actually beads that I got from A.C. Moore. It took about 12 packets of beads (with 12 in each packet) to do both shoes. Check out this website for plenty of other options.

I started by lining the zipper with the spikes.

Then I started filling in the back and the heel alternating spikes and rhinestones.

I kept going all the way down the heel, leaving about a quarter of an inch at the bottom.

I tried to get some pictures of me actually wearing the booties, but the light in the house is just not strong enough. They were all super blurry. But I kind of like the idea of saving their official debut for the mean streets of NYC... they're definitely big city shoes, don't you think?

A few tips:

1. I found that it was easiest to squirt a blob of the glue onto a paper towel and dip the spikes into it. Let it sit out for 10 mins or so before you start so the glue gets a little tacky, and it will hold much better.

2. When I started adding the rhinestones, I got a Q-tip and cut one of the fluffy ends off. Then I dipped the cut-off end into the glue, dabbed it onto the shoe, and then stuck the rhinestones on.

3. The glue will dry clear, but if you get a big glob, you'll be able to see it up close, so be careful.